Adapter for an injection appliance

ABSTRACT

An adapter for use with an appliance for administering an injectable product, the adapter serving to create a product connection between a catheter and a product container that can be inserted into the appliance, and including a thread for screwing the adapter to the appliance, a stop for fixing the container in the longitudinal direction of the thread, an attachment piece to which the catheter may be connected, and a product channel that extends through the attachment piece and the thread.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/411,858 filed Mar. 26, 2009 which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 11/759,640, filed on Jun. 7, 2007, which is acontinuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2005/011856, filedon Nov. 5, 2005, which claims priority to German Application No. 10 2004059 126.1, filed on Dec. 8, 2004, the contents of each of which areincorporated in their entirety herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to devices for delivering, injecting,dispensing, infusing or administering substances, and to methods ofmaking and using such devices. More particularly, it relates to anadapter for an appliance or device for administering an injectableproduct, such as is used, for example in known injection and infusionappliances and devices, for closing a receiving compartment for acontainer, generally an ampoule. By such an adapter, the container isfixed in a defined or selected position for dosed administration of asubstance therein. In some embodiments, the adapter also creates aproduct connection between the container, or a container outlet, and acatheter, cannula, needle or the like that is attached to the appliance.The invention further relates to injection and infusion appliances anddevices with such an adapter.

In insulin therapy, for example, injection and infusion appliances areused in which a product to be administered is forced from an ampoule, bydisplacement of a plunger received in the ampoule towards an ampouleoutlet, and expelled through a catheter and through an injection needleconnected to the latter. The advance, advancing or dispensing movementof the plunger is effected by a drive device. The drive device comprisesa manually operated or motor-driven plunger rod which is moved in theadvance direction of the plunger. In simple syringes, to which thepresent invention also relates, such a plunger rod can also be presseddirectly by hand in the advancing direction. During its own displacementin the advancing direction, the plunger rod presses the plunger towardsthe ampoule outlet, as a result of which the product is expelled.

The present invention relates to appliances for product administrationin which the plunger received in the container is secured to the plungerrod, by the plunger and the plunger rod being connected, e.g., screwedtogether, upon insertion of the container.

For this connecting, a person using the known appliances has to grip thecontainer, insert it into the receiving shaft of the appliance and,after obtaining the required contact between the plunger and the plungerrod, screw the plunger onto the plunger rod by turning the container.For reasons of sterility, the container outlet is in most cases closedby a closure cap that has to be removed after the plunger has beenscrewed on and/or before the receiving compartment is closed. It is alsopossible for the container outlet to be closed by a membrane, which ispierced by a needle after insertion of the container.

The handling of the container in this procedure is known to be awkward.Moreover, displacements of the plunger in the container until thecompletion of the screwed connection to the plunger rod are hard toavoid, such that air is sucked into the container or product is expelledat the latest when the closure cap is removed or the membrane pierced.

SUMMARY

An object of the present invention is to make insertion of containersinto injection devices and the like safer, easier and more comfortable.The present invention is also intended minimize the chance that theposition of the plunger, in the direction of the container axis, is notaltered in the container during the connection of the plunger to theplunger rod.

In one embodiment, the present invention relates to an adapter for anappliance for administration, e.g., dosed administration, of aninjectable product. The adapter serves to create a product connectionbetween a catheter and a product container, when the container has beeninserted into the appliance. The adapter also serves for fixing and/orholding the container in the appliance.

In one embodiment, the present invention comprises an adapter for usewith an appliance or device for administering an injectable product, theadapter serving to create a product connection between a catheter and aproduct container that can be inserted into the appliance, and includinga thread for screwing the adapter to the appliance, a stop for fixingthe container in the longitudinal direction of the thread, an attachmentpiece to which the catheter may be connected, and a product channel thatextends through the attachment piece and the thread. In one embodiment,an injection device or the like including the adapter is encompassed bythe present invention.

In one embodiment, the adapter comprises a thread for screwing theadapter to the appliance, a fixing means for fixing the container in thelongitudinal direction of the thread, a catheter attachment piece, and aproduct channel. A catheter can already be joined to the catheterattachment piece at the time of production. The catheter attachmentpiece can also be a prepared catheter attachment piece onto which acatheter can be fitted by a user without any further aids, e.g., byscrewing the catheter into or onto it. The product channel serves toconvey the product from the container into the catheter. It accordinglyextends through the adapter. The connection between the adapter and theappliance may be accomplished in any suitable way, including, in somepreferred embodiments, by any kind of rotary closure, e.g., a screwed orthreaded connection, a bayonet closure, etc.

According to the present invention, the adapter comprises a retainingdevice by which the container can be connected to the adapter in amanner secured against twisting.

In some embodiments, the container comprises a container wall and aplunger. The anti-twist protection between adapter and container is inthis case then an arrangement, feature or structure preventing twistingbetween the adapter and the container wall. In one embodiment, theplunger is in frictional contact with the container wall and turns alongwith the container wall, unless it is prevented from doing so byapplication of external force.

In some preferred embodiments, the retaining device is connected to theadapter in a manner secure against twisting and/or secure againstdisplacement or is likewise connected completely fixedly to the adapter.In principle, however, the retaining device could also conceivably bearranged on or in the adapter loosely, but secure against twisting.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, therefore, theadapter can be used as a container holder when a plunger received in thecontainer is being screwed onto a plunger rod of a drive device of theappliance. A user does not have to directly grip, hold and guide thecontainer during an insertion procedure. For this purpose, he uses theadapter according to the present invention. Since the adapter thatcreates the product connection can be used as container holder duringinsertion of the container, a protective cap protecting the containeroutlet can be removed, and the catheter attached, even before insertionof the container.

In some preferred embodiments, the present invention may comprise aretaining device to hold the container suspended on the adapter. In someillustrative preferred embodiments, the retaining device is formed on aninner jacket of a sleeve part of the adapter that is pushed over thecontainer such that the outlet of the container is guided into theproduct channel of the adapter, and the outer jacket of the container isheld on the adapter in a manner secure against twisting and secureagainst displacement with the sleeve part of the adapter.

In some preferred embodiments, the adapter and the container areprevented or protected against twisting by a clamping connection, e.g.,between a sleeve part of the adapter and the container. A form-fitengagement protecting against twisting is also possible, but it wouldrequire a corresponding formation on the outer jacket of the container,for example the formation of protruding cams. By contrast, a clampingengagement secure against twisting is also possible on smooth surfaces.If the container is additionally also held by the retaining device in amanner secure against displacement on the adapter, a clamp-typeconnection may likewise be used for the connection protecting againstdisplacement.

The combination of the functions of an adapter and of a container holderhas an advantage in that, after the container has been inserted and theplunger has been screwed onto the plunger rod, the container holder doesnot need to be removed again from the container in order to fix thecontainer and create the product connection to a catheter.

In one illustrative embodiment, the thread of the adapter, with whichthe adapter is screwed onto the administration appliance, has the samepitch as the thread of the plunger rod and of the plunger. In this way,the displacement movements of the adapter and of the plunger, which areassociated with the two screwing operations and which take place in thelongitudinal direction of the respective thread, are synchronized withone another.

In another illustrative embodiment, the adapter is formed by two adapterparts that are movable relative to one another in the longitudinaldirection of the adapter thread. One of the two adapter parts is screwedonto the administration appliance. The other of the two adapter partsforms the retaining device for the container. The two adapter parts areconnected to one another in a manner secure against twisting, but aredisplaceable relative to one another. In some embodiments, the possibledisplacement movement between the two adapter parts is limited in bothdirections, e.g., by interacting limit stops formed on both adapterparts. In principle, however, it would also be possible to design theadapter parts such that they can simply be pushed one into the other andremoved again from one another. However, handling of the adapter issimplified by the fact that the possible displacement of the two adapterparts is limited at both ends.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through an administration appliancewith an adapter according to one embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 shows an adapter according to another illustrative embodiment ofthe present invention,

FIG. 3 shows the adapter of FIG. 2 in longitudinal section,

FIG. 4 shows a retaining part of the adapter of FIG. 2 in longitudinalsection,

FIG. 5 shows the retaining part of FIG. 4 in one elevation,

FIG. 6 shows the retaining part in another elevation,

FIG. 7 shows the retaining part in a plan view, and

FIG. 8 shows a securing part of the adapter of FIG. 2 in a plan view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative injection appliance in the form of amanually actuated syringe. A housing 1 of the injection appliance isformed by a housing middle part in combination with a detachable lidconnected securely to it and a detachable base plate connected securelyto it. In the housing 1, there is a receiving compartment 4 for acontainer for an injectable product. The receiving compartment 4 isformed as a straight cylinder, in the illustrative embodiment as acircular cylinder, to match the container that is preferably configuredas a straight cylindrical ampoule. In FIG. 1, the receiving compartment4 is shown in its closed state, but without a container. An adapter 10forms a rotary closure piece for the receiving compartment 4.

In FIG. 1, a product container A is depicted, which is suitable for usewith the injection appliance. Container A accommodates a plunger 3 thatis guided in a sliding movement therein in a leaktight manner. Theplunger closes off the container A towards a rear end of said containerA. At a front end of the container A there is an outlet through whichproduct is expelled by displacement of the plunger 3 in an advancedirection, i.e. towards the outlet.

The plunger 3 is advanced in the container A by a drive device of theinjection appliance. The drive device is formed by a plunger rod 5 andby a drive member 6 for the plunger rod 5. The drive member 6 is ahandwheel that is mounted rotatably in the housing 1 but secured againstdisplacement. The plunger rod 5 is guided rectilinearly, and in a mannersecured against twisting, in the housing in the advance direction of theplunger 3 when said container A is inserted. The plunger rod 5 and thedrive member 6 form a spindle drive in such a way that, by turning thedrive member 6, a longitudinal displacement of the plunger rod 5 in orcounter to the advancing or dispensing direction of the plunger isobtained.

A head of the plunger rod 5 protrudes into the receiving compartment 4and is provided with a thread 7. At the rear end of the head of theplunger rod 5, a limit stop flange for the plunger is formed on saidplunger rod 5.

The adapter 10 is provided, on a rear sleeve part 11, with an outerthread 12 via which the adapter 10, in the form of the rotary closurepiece for the receiving compartment 4, is screwed onto the housing 1.The housing 1, i.e. the lid secured on the housing middle part, whichforms a front part of the receiving compartment 4, is for this purposedesigned, in the front area of the receiving compartment 4, with aninner thread that matches the outer thread 12.

The adapter 10 is formed by a sleeve body. The sleeve body has acontainer-retaining part formed by the rear sleeve part 11 and,adjoining this, a front attachment part. The rear sleeve part 11 servesat the same time as a securing part, by means of its outer jacket (it isto be appreciated that, for purposes of the present disclosure, unlessclearly indicated otherwise, the term “jacket” may refer to and/orencompass a surface, or other similar structures) being designed withthe thread 12 for screwing-in of the adapter 10. The inner cross sectionof the sleeve part 11 is dimensioned and shaped such that the adapter 10can be pushed in this area onto a container that can be used with theinjection appliance. A clamping part 30 in the form of an O-ring issecured non-displaceably on the inner jacket of the sleeve part 11. Insome embodiments, the O-ring is received in a groove extending about thecircumference of the inner jacket. The O-ring forms the clampingstructure or function for the container and is elastically resilient. Acircumferential shoulder protruding inwardly from the inner jacket ofthe sleeve part 11 forms an inner limit stop 23 for the container. Acircumferential shoulder protruding outwards from the outer jacket ofthe adapter 10 forms an outer limit stop 14 for the adapter 10 whenscrewed onto the housing 1. For the container, the inner limit stop 23thus forms a fixing feature, structure and/or method for the containerwhen the container is inserted into the receiving compartment 4 and theadapter 10 is screwed onto the housing 1. In this installation positionof the container, said container is fixed in the longitudinal direction,i.e. fixed in and counter to the advance direction of the plunger, by arear limit stop 8, which is formed by the housing 1, and by the innerlimit stop 23, which is formed by the adapter 10, or a longitudinaldisplacement is at least limited.

The attachment part of the adapter 10 is formed by a straight,circular-cylindrical bore and by a sleeve 15 which is pressed into thebore and which is provided, on its inner jacket, with a thread 16 forscrewing-in of a tubular catheter. In another embodiment, the sleeve 15and the thread can also be integrally formed. The bore and the sleeve 15sitting in it form a prepared attachment means for a catheter.

The adapter 10 facilitates the insertion of a container into thereceiving compartment 4. In the insertion procedure, the user first ofall removes the protective cap from the Luer cone of the container. Theadapter 10 with its sleeve part 11 is then pushed over the Luer cone andthen onto the container, until the container abuts the inner limit stop23 of the adapter 10. In this position, the adapter 10 protects the Luercone protruding into the bore of the attachment part. At the same time,the clamping force of the elastic clamping part 30 ensures that thecontainer is held with clamping on the adapter 10. The clampingengagement is sufficiently strong for the container to be held suspendedon the adapter 10. The clamping engagement is also sufficiently strongto avoid twisting of the container relative to the adapter 10 during thesubsequent connection of the plunger to the plunger rod 5. In thissense, the adapter 10 forms, with the aid of the clamping part 30, aretaining device for the container.

The catheter is now screwed into the attachment piece 15, and theplunger rod 5 is positioned relative to the plunger in the container.

Upon insertion of the container, the user can push the container,suspended or captured on the adapter 10, into the receiving compartment4 almost as far as the head of the plunger rod 5. In the course ofinsertion of the container, the adapter 10 is initially screwed acertain distance into the receiving compartment 4. By the adapter 10being screwed in, the rear end of the plunger also comes into contactwith the head of the plunger rod 5. On the rear end of the plunger thereis a blind bore with an inner thread that matches the thread 7 of theplunger rod 5. During the further screwing-in of the adapter 10, andthus the rotation movement of the container obtained by virtue of theretaining device, the plunger is also screwed onto the plunger rod 5until the plunger abuts the limit stop flange of the plunger rod 5. Insome preferred embodiments, this should happen before the containerstrikes the limit stop 8 or the outer limit stop 14 on the housing 1. Ifappropriate, the catheter is screwed in more tightly.

Therefore, as the adapter 10 is screwed in further, the underside of theplunger meets a resistance afforded by the limit stop flange of theplunger rod 5. The frictional contact between plunger and container isnot sufficient to avoid the plunger turning within the container. Bycontrast, the anti-twist protection between the adapter and thecontainer wall is maintained during this procedure.

With the adapter 10 in the installed state, the longitudinal axis of thethread 12 of the adapter 10 is aligned with the advance direction of theplunger rod 5. Accordingly, the thread 12 and the plunger thread arealso in alignment when the container is held with clamping by theadapter 10, or the longitudinal axes of these two threads can at leastbe oriented in alignment during the clamping engagement.

The pitch of the thread 12 can be exactly the same as the pitch of thethread 7 or the pitch of the plunger thread. This ensures that theplunger is not displaced, or is displaced only slightly, toward theoutlet in the longitudinal direction of the container when the adapter10, with the container held on it secure against twisting, is screwedonto the housing 1.

If the pitch of the thread 12 is slightly greater than the pitch of theplunger thread, the plunger abuts the limit stop flange of the plungerrod 5 before the container hits the limit stop 8 or the outer limit stop14 on the housing 1. Slightly greater means, for example, that, over thefull length of the thread, the thread 12 has one to three turns fewerthan the plunger thread. Nevertheless, the plunger is displaced onlyslightly towards the outlet in the longitudinal direction of thecontainer.

The feature by which the plunger abuts the limit stop flange of theplunger rod 5 before the container hits the limit stop 8 or the outerlimit stop 14 on the housing 1 can also be obtained by the thread lengthof the connecting thread, between the plunger and the plunger rod 5,being made shorter than the thread length of the adapter 10, given thesame thread pitches.

By following the above sequence in the case of the limit stopconditions, it is substantially ensured that there is still some playbetween the underside of the container and the limit stop 8 when theplunger is already fully screwed to the plunger rod 5. The limit stop 8can be plastically deformable or can be a spring, such that thecontainer cannot be damaged.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an adapter 10 according to a secondillustrative embodiment. In this embodiment of the adapter 10, asecuring part 17 of the adapter 10 and a retaining part 20 for thecontainer are able to move relative to one another in the longitudinaldirection of the thread 12 of the adapter 10. The function of theadapter 10 according to the second illustrative embodiment can be seenin FIG. 3. The two mutually movable adapter parts, namely the securingpart 17 and the retaining part 20, are shown in different individualviews in FIGS. 4 to 8, to which reference may additionally be made atthe same time.

The securing part 17 is designed as an outer securing sleeve. Theretaining part 20 is designed as an inner retaining sleeve in thesecuring part 17 and can be displaced back and forth along the commonlongitudinal axis, being guided in a rectilinear manner and securedagainst twisting. Two longitudinal grooves 18 b on an inner jacket ofthe securing part 17, and two longitudinal webs 29 provided on an outerjacket of the retaining part 20 and engaging in the grooves 18 b, serveas rectilinear guides (see FIG. 5). Other rectilinear guides areprovided in the form of two further grooves 18 a on the inner jacket ofthe securing part 17 and two hooks 24 which engage in the grooves 18 aand which protrude from the outer jacket of the retaining part 20 in afront area of the retaining part 20 and can snap into place.

-   -   The two hooks 24 serve as limit stops which limit the relative        movement of the retaining part 20 relative to the securing part        17 in a direction which, in the assembled state of the adapter,        is counter to the advance direction of the plunger. For this        purpose, the grooves 18 a are designed as blind grooves which        are open to the front edge of the securing part 17 and are        delimited, within the securing part 17, by in each case a step        which projects inwards from the inner, jacket of the securing        part 17 and which is formed by a projection 19. At the same        time, on a face directed away from the grooves 18 a, the        projection 19 forms a limit stop shoulder onto which the        retaining part 20 abuts with a counter-surface serving as limit        stop 26 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) in the event of a longitudinal        displacement in the advance direction of the plunger. In the        assembled state of the adapter 10, the end face of the        projection 19 directed towards the plunger rod 5 of the        injection appliance, for example in FIG. 1, forms, together with        the limit stop 26 and with the inner limit stop 23 formed as an        inner shoulder of the retaining part 20, the fixing means of the        adapter 10 of the second illustrative embodiment.

The securing part 17 is a circular-cylindrical, one-piece sleeve bodywith a circular-cylindrical inner cross section having two differentradii, namely a greater internal diameter in a rear area directedtowards the plunger rod 5 in the assembled state, and a by contrastsmaller diameter in a front area. The transition between the two areasof different diameters is formed by the projection 19. The twolongitudinally continuous grooves 18 b and the two blind grooves 18 aare formed on the inner jacket of the front area of the securing sleeve17. The rear area of the securing part 17 is a simple circular cylinder.The outer thread 12 is formed on the outer jacket of the rear area. Theouter thread 12 is again delimited by the outer limit stop 14 whichprotrudes radially from the outer jacket of the securing part 17 andwhich is adjoined by the grip area for the user. The two end faces ofthe securing part 17 and of the adapter 10 as a whole are simply planeand parallel.

The retaining part 20, depicted in the individual views in FIGS. 4 to 7,is formed by a circular-cylindrical sleeve body with two sleeve areas orsleeve parts 21 and 22. The rear sleeve part 21 is a closed circularcylinder and serves as a receiver and holder for the container, which isindicated in FIG. 4 and is designated by A. For this purpose, aretaining device in the manner of the retaining device of the firstillustrative embodiment is formed, by a clamping part 30, in this casean O-ring made of elastomeric material, being arranged on the innerjacket 21 a of the rear sleeve part 21, for example being received in acircumferential groove or being otherwise suitably connectednon-displaceably (axially) to the retaining part 20. Alternatively, thesleeve part 21 and the clamping part 30 can also be made from twocomponents of plastic. With the aid of the clamping part 30, thecontainer A is clamped on the rear sleeve part 21 in a manner secureagainst twisting and secure against displacement. In its interior, therear sleeve part 21 is delimited by the inwardly protruding, inner limitstop 23. With a correct seat inside the retaining part 20, a front edgeof the container A abuts against the inner limit stop 23 thus formed.The sleeve part 21 is adapted to the shape of the containers that can beused with the administration appliance, such that a secure clampingengagement is possible. In the case of circular-cylindrical ampoules, italso has, for example, a circular-cylindrical inner cross section, witha sufficient oversize that is dependent on the thickness and/orelasticity of the clamping part 30.

In its front sleeve part 22, the retaining part 20, in the form of thetwo longitudinal webs 29 and the two further longitudinal webs with thehooks 24, is slit four times to the height of the limit stop 26. Thelengths of the slits 28 are chosen in accordance with the desiredflexural elasticity of the hooks 24. In principle, only one of thelongitudinal webs 29 and only one of the hooks 24 would be sufficientfor this purpose; the two functions could, in principle, also becombined in a single hook with longitudinal guide function. It wouldalso be possible to provide more than two longitudinal webs 29 and/ormore than two hooks 24. The two webs with the hooks 24 are set backslightly on their outer jacket to form the two mutually opposed surfacesthat serve as limit stops 25 and 26. The two webs with the hooks 24,obtained by the formation of the slits 28, yield as the retaining part20 is inserted into the securing part 17, on the projection 19 of thesecuring part 17. The projection 19 and the hooks 24 have suitablyshaped surfaces to promote this yield upon insertion of the retainingpart 20. After the hooks 24 have been pushed over the area of theprojection 19, the webs with the hooks 24 snap into the groove 18 a byvirtue of their elastic restoring forces. In this way, the retainingpart 20 is hooked in the securing part 17. In the hooked state shown inFIG. 3, the retaining part 20 can be displaced back and forth in thesecuring part 17 by the displacement length L, in which process thelimit stop 25 in the first instance, and the limit stop 26 in the secondinstance, abuts against the limit stop surfaces formed by the projection19 of the securing part 17 and in so doing limits the longitudinaldisplacement. Accidental removal of the retaining part 20 from thesecuring part 17 is prevented by the shape of the abutting limit stopsurfaces of the retaining part 20 and of the securing part 17.

The attachment structure for the catheter is in the form of anattachment sleeve 15 which is pressed into the front sleeve part 22 ofthe retaining part 20 as far as an inner shoulder 27 of the retainingpart 20. Alternatively, the front sleeve part could also be formedintegrally on the retaining part 20. The attachment sleeve 15 has aninner thread 16, such that a catheter tube can be screwed into theattachment sleeve 15 and be held securely therein. The attachment sleeve15 is slit in accordance with the retaining part 20, in the illustrativeembodiment four times with corresponding slit lengths, and it is pressedinto the retaining part 20 such that the slits of the retaining part 20and of the attachment sleeve 15 are congruent, as can be seen from FIGS.2 and 7. If it is suitably resilient, the attachment sleeve 15 can alsobe produced without slits and can support the hooks 24, which for theirpart, however, are yielding. Alternatively, the retaining part 20 andthe attachment sleeve 15 can also be formed in one piece with oneanother. Alternatively, the attachment sleeve 15 can also be producedwithout slits and, after the retaining part 20 has snapped into theadapter 10, can be pressed in such that the hooks 24 are stabilized.

In some preferred embodiments, the securing part 17 and the retainingpart 20 are, like the sleeve body of the adapter 10 of the firstillustrative embodiment, injection-moulded plastic parts. The attachmentsleeve 15 in illustrative embodiments may also be made from a plasticmaterial.

Insertion of a new container A takes place in the same way as with theadapter 10 according to the first illustrative embodiment. An advantageof the adapter 10 according to the second illustrative embodiment isthat, because of the longitudinal displaceability of the retaining part20 relative to the securing part 17, unequal thread pitches of thescrewed connections between plunger and plunger rod, on the one hand,and between adapter and housing, on the other hand, may not be required.Moreover, there can also be no relative displacement, or, if any, just aslight relative displacement, of the plunger in the container, forexample if the thread 12 of the adapter 10 and the thread 7 of theplunger rod 5 engage in different rotation angle positions of theadapter 10 and of the clamped container A relative to the housing 1. Toensure operating safety, however, the length abutments must provide alimit stop in the discharge direction. In some preferred embodiments,the thread pitch of the plunger/plunger screwed connection is greaterthan or equal to the thread pitch of the adapter/housing screwedconnection.

As shown by the Figures, in some embodiments, the present inventioncomprises an adapter for an appliance for administering an injectableproduct, the adapter 10 serving to create a product connection between acatheter and a product container that can be inserted into theappliance, and comprising a thread 12 for screwing the adapter 10 to theappliance, fixing stops or projections for fixing the container in thelongitudinal direction of the thread 12, an attachment piece 15 to whichthe catheter is connected or which is prepared for a connection to thecatheter, and a product channel that extends through the attachmentpiece 15 and the thread 12.

Embodiments of the present invention, including preferred embodiments,have been presented for the purpose of illustration and description.They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to theprecise forms and steps disclosed. The embodiments were chosen anddescribed to provide the best illustration of the principles of theinvention and the practical application thereof, and to enable one ofordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in variousembodiments and with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations arewithin the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claimswhen interpreted in accordance with the breadth they are fairly,legally, and equitably entitled.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for administering an injectableproduct, the system comprising: an appliance comprising a housing; anadapter; an outer thread configured to connect the adapter to theappliance; an outer limit stop provided outwardly adjacent andprotruding over the outer thread located adjacent to and extendingradially outward from the outer thread and completely circumferentiallysurrounding the adapter, wherein the outer limit stop is configured toabut against a distal end of an exterior surface of the housing of theappliance based upon being screwed therein; an inner limit stopconfigured to secure a container in a longitudinal direction of theouter thread; an attachment piece configured to connect to a catheter; aproduct channel extending through the attachment piece and the outerthread; and a clamping part by which the container is configured toconnect to the adapter and whereby the container and adapter may not berelatively turned, wherein by virtue of the clamping part which isconfigured to prevent twisting of the container relative to the adapter,rotational movement of the adapter to screw the adapter onto theappliance is configured to cause a plunger of the container to bescrewed onto a plunger rod of the appliance before the appliance strikesthe outer limit stop.
 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein theinner limit stop protrudes inwardly from a sleeve part of the adapter.3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a sleeve part which isdelimited by the inner limit stop, wherein the clamping part is securedto the sleeve part.
 4. A system for administering an injectable product,the system comprising: an adapter which serves to connect fluidically acatheter to a product container that can be inserted into a housing ofan appliance; the appliance comprising the housing; an outer threadconfigured to screw the adapter to the appliance; an outer limit stoplocated adjacent to and extending radially outward from the outer threadand completely circumferentially surrounding the adapter, wherein theouter limit stop is configured to abut against a distal end of anexterior surface of the housing of the appliance based upon beingscrewed therein; an inner limit stop configured to fix the container ina longitudinal direction of the outer thread; an attachment piece towhich the catheter is connected or which is configured for connection tothe catheter; a product channel extending through the attachment pieceand the outer thread; and a retaining part by which the container isconfigured to connect to the adapter in a manner secured againsttwisting, wherein by virtue of the retaining part which is configured toprevent twisting of the container relative to the adapter, rotationalmovement of the adapter to screw the adapter onto the appliance isconfigured to cause a plunger of the container to be screwed onto aplunger rod of the appliance before the housing of the appliance strikesthe outer limit stop.
 5. The system according to claim 4, wherein theretaining part holds the container suspended on the adapter.
 6. Thesystem according to claim 4, further comprises a clamping part by whichthe container is held by a clamping action within the retaining part. 7.The system of claim 6 wherein the clamping part comprises an O-ringsecured non-displaceably on a sleeve part of the adapter.
 8. The systemof claim 7 wherein the O-ring comprises an elastomeric material.
 9. Thesystem according to claim 4, further comprising a clamping part on asleeve part of the adapter, said clamping part pressing elasticallyagainst the container inserted into the sleeve part.
 10. The systemaccording to claim 4, wherein the inner limit stop protrudes inwardlyfrom a sleeve part of the adapter.
 11. The system according to claim 4,wherein the adapter comprises a securing part with the thread, and theretaining part is movable relative to the securing part and guidedrectilinearly by the securing part in a longitudinal direction of ascrewing-in axis of the thread.
 12. The system according to claim 11,wherein the retaining part is rectilinearly displaceable relative to thesecuring part between two limit-stop positions in the direction of acentral axis of the thread.
 13. The system according to claim 4, whereinthe attachment piece is formed by an attachment sleeve pressed into theadapter.
 14. The system according to claim 4, wherein the thread of theadapter has a pitch that is smaller than a pitch of a thread of theplunger rod which screws to the plunger of the container.
 15. The systemaccording to claim 4 wherein the retaining part comprises acircular-cylindrical, one-piece sleeve body with an inner cross-sectionhaving two different radii.
 16. The system of claim 4 wherein theretaining part comprises one or more longitudinal webs.
 17. The systemof claim 16, wherein the retaining part is slit four times to a heightof a third limit stop.
 18. The system of claim 17 wherein the innerlimit stop is formed as an inner shoulder of the retaining part.
 19. Thesystem of claim 4 wherein the retaining part comprises longitudinal webswith hooks.
 20. The system of claim 4 further comprising a securing partwith the outer thread and grooves, wherein the retaining part compriseslongitudinal webs with hooks that snap into the grooves of the securingpart.
 21. A system for administering an injectable product, the systemcomprising: an appliance comprising a housing; an adapter; an outerthread configured to connect the adapter to the appliance; an outerlimit stop located adjacent to and extending radially outward from theouter thread and completely circumferentially surrounding the adapter,wherein the outer limit stop is configured to abut against a distal endof an exterior surface of the housing of the appliance based upon beingscrewed therein; an inner limit stop configured to secure a container ina longitudinal direction of the outer thread; an attachment piececonfigured to connect to a catheter; a product channel extending throughthe attachment piece and the outer thread; and a clamping part by whichthe container is configured to connect to the adapter and whereby thecontainer and adapter may not be relatively turned, wherein by virtue ofthe clamping part which is configured to prevent twisting of thecontainer relative to the adapter, rotational movement of the adapter toscrew the adapter onto the appliance is configured to cause a plunger ofthe container to be screwed onto a plunger rod of the appliance beforethe appliance strikes the outer limit stop.